Phonograph



Aug. 6, 1935.

L. FOX

PHONOGRAPH Fild Feb. 24, 193-5 3 Sheet-Sheet 1 flederz'c l. 0.20,

[N VEN TOR.

A TTORNEY.

Aug. 6, 1935.

F. L. FOX 2,010,690

PHONOGRAPH I Filed Feb. 24, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 5' IN VEN TOR.

BY uni/1 A TTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 6, 1935 PATENT OFFICE f 2,010,690 PHONOGRAPH Frederick L. Fox, Washington, D. (3;, assignor to Thomas A. Edison, Incorporated',-'West Orange, 7 N. J.,' a corporation of New Jersey Application February 24, 1933, Serial No. 658,418

16 Claims.

This invention relates to commercialphonographs known as-dictating and transcribing ma-- chines.

An object of the presentinvention is to provide 3; practical means for preventing damage being done to the record or styli of a phonograph by the improper removal from or application of the record to the machine, or by movement of the' record-on its support or mandrel while either stylus engages the record.

Another object is to provide means whereby collapsing of the mandrel to allowmovement of the record, will cause the stylus to be removed from the record.

Still another object is to prevent the improper removal or application of the record, by improved means which isconsiderably more simple in operation, cheaper to manufacture, and more positive in action than similar devices heretofore employed.

Other and more specific objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description whenconsidered in connection with'the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational View of a commercial phonograph embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view thereof partly in front ele vation and partly broken away and in section.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the mandrel and record, partly in elevation and part-' ly in longitudinal section.

Figure 4 is an end elevation looking toward the Figure 7 is a transverse'section on line 1-4 of Fig'ure 3.

Figure 8 is a transverse section on line"88 of Figure'3o- Figure 9 is 'a detail section on line 9-9 of Figure 1.

Figure 10 is an enlarged perspective-view of the cam forming part of the operative connection between the collapsible mandrel and guard members and the control for the recorder and reproducer';

Figure ll is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one of the rods forming part of the collapsible'mandrel shown in Figjure3.

Figure 12 is a transverse section on line l2-'-l2 of Figure 3.

Figure 13 is a view similar to Figure 3 of a modified form of mandrel; and

Figure 14' is a view similar to Figure 13 of a still further modified form of mandrel.

a Referring in detail to thedrawings, 5 indicates the'mandrelof the'phonograph adapted to sup port the usual record R. The phonograph embodies a bed'plate 6 provided with standards I and 8, and supported at one end in the standard 8 is a stationary tube or sleeve 9 secured rigidly in position by a set screw ID, or equivalent means;

The driving shaft i l for the mandrel 5 is mounted to extend through the tube 9 and has its inner or left handend journaled within a suitable bearing ing in the corresponding end of thetube or sleeve 9. The shaft l I istubularor hollow and has its inner or left hand end extended between the standards 1 and 8 where it hasa gear i2 secured thereon. From this gear 12, by connectionsnot shown, the usual feed screw of the phonograph is driven in a well known manner to cause move, ment of the carriage l3 and the recorderand reproducer 14 supported thereby, relative .to the record R on the mandrel 5. by a set screw IE or the like to the outeror right hand end of shaft ll, engages the corresponding- Power is transmitted to the driving shaftl by means of a belt H passing around a pulley l8 rotatable upon the stub shaft 69 secured in the standard I by a set screw 29 or the like.

Any suitable means is employed to prevent move ment ofthe pulley l8 axially of. the shaft 19, and said shaft I9 is in line with'the shaft H.

A collar l5, secured The pulley I8 is adapted to be connected to shaft H by a'clutchzl which isslidable back and forth upon the enlarged inner end' portion of, shaft H,and the movement of which is controlled in the usual manner by means including a shifting fork 22; v

By way of example, the present invention is illustrated in connection with a phonogra h havingga collapsible mandrel of the general type disclosed in the U. S. patent to N. H. Holland, No: 1,213,197, January 23,1917. This mandrel or record support comprises a tubular hub '23 rotatably mounted at itsinner end upon the tube 9 andsecured at its outer or right hand end by the set screw 16 onto the collar 15 which is secured by said set screw I 6 to the adjacent projecting end 01E the driving shaft ll. Thus, the tubular hub 23'will rotate with or bedriven by the shaft H. A pair of disks 24 and 25 are mountedin adjacent relation on the tubular hub 23 adjacent the inner or left hand end thereof; the disk 25 being loose on this hub 23, and the disk LG'being secured thereto by a set screw 26 or thelike. The disks '24 and 25 are resiliently connected by means of a'spiral-spring 2'1 arranged therebetween, and the disk 24 is provided with-a number'of similar "and equally spaced slots 28. The disk- 25 is providedwith a corresponding number of slots 29 of the same size asthe slots 28, and the outer walls of all of the slots 28 and 29 are located at the same distance from the axis of the shaft H, the slots 28 being arranged radially of the axis of the mandrel, and the slots 29 in disk 25 being arranged at acute and equal angles to the slots 28, as clearly shown in Figure 6. The record support or mandrel further includes rods or members 39 extending longitudinally of the hub 23 and adapted to engage the bore of the cylindrical phonograph record R. These rods correspond in number to the number of slots 28 or 29, and the inn-er ends thereof are formed with slightly reduced cylindrical portions 3! seated in pairs of the cooperating slots 28 and 29 of disks 24 and 25. Spring 2! is so arranged that, whenever the reduced end portions 3| of rods 39 are seated in the cooperating pairs of slots 28 and 29, it will be under tension and constantly tend to turn or rotate disk 25 on hub 23 with respect to disk 24, whereby the inner ends of rods 39 are normally maintained in the outermost position in engagement with the outer walls of the slots 28 and 29, as shown. The inner ends of the rods 3B are thus mounted to simultaneously and correspondingly yield toward the axis of the mandrel or record support as the record is pushed thereon, as clearly set forth and explained in the patent referred to above. However, the outer or right hand ends of the rods 36 are mounted and actuated in a novel and special manner in accordance with the present invention, as will later become apparent.

The carriage I3 for the recorder and eproducer I 4 is slidably mounted on rods 32 and 33 to move parallel with the mandrel or record support 5, the carriage being fed along such rods to cause the recorder and reproducer to traverse the record cylinder mounted on said mandrel. The recorder and reproducer M is set with respect to the record cylinder R on the mandrel, by suitable means comprising an arm or lever 34 having a splined connection with the rod 33 which is mounted to turn in bearings of the standard l and a further standard 35 on the right hand end of the bed plate 6. As usual, the arrangement of the lever 34 is such that when it is in a forward position the recorder and reproducer will be adjusted in recording or dictating position with the recording stylus in engagement with the record R; that when said lever 34 is in the vertical position of Figure l, the recorder and reproducer will be in neutral or inoperative position with its styli disengaged from the record R; and that when the lever 34 is in a rearward position, the recorder and reproducer is in reproducing or listening position with the reproducing stylus in engagement with the record R. It will be noted that in setting the lever 34 in either of these positions the guide rod 33 is rocked in its bearings. The general object of the present invention, in one of its embodiments, is to utilize the rocking movement of guide rod 33 for expanding and collapsing the mandrel 5, or for projecting stop or guard members into the path of the record R and for retracting them out of the path of said record, or both, whereby the mandrel will be collapsed for easy removal of the record when the styli of the recorder and reproducer are disengaged from the latter, and will be expanded toprevent easy removal of the record from the mandrel when either stylus is engaged therewith, or whereby movement of the record longitudinally of the mandrel or removal of the record from or application of the same to the mandrel is positively prevented when either stylus is in record-engaging position, or both. The invention also con templates retraction of the guard or stop members to permit removal of the record when the recorder and reproducer is in neutral position with the styli disengaged from the record.

In carrying out the present invention, a longitudinally slidable rod 36 is arranged to extend through the shafts l i and 59 with one end thereof projecting beyond the standard 1' and operatively connected with the rod 33, and with the other end thereof projecting beyond the right hand end of shaft ll! and operatively connected with expansible and contractible record guard or stop members carried by the adjacent end of the mandrel, or operatively connected with the adjacent outer ends of the mandrel rods 35, or both.

As shown in Figures 1 to 12 inclusive, a plurality of arms 38 are arranged in equally spaced relation about and longitudinally of the hub 23 at the outer end of the latter, said arms being pivoted to the hub 23 at their inner ends as at 39 for swinging movement radially of the mandrel axis. The arms 38 are provided with cam slots 49 engaged by pins l! arranged about and carried by a cap member :22 slidable upon the adjacent free outer end of the hub 23. The rod 36 is threaded through the end wall of cap member 32,

and it will thus be seen that said cap member may be reciprocated by corresponding movement of rod 36 so as to cause expansion or retraction of the arms 38, depending upon the direction in which the rod 36 is moved. A jamb nut 63 is threaded on the rod 36 against the outer side of the end wall of cap member 52 to lock the rod 35 against adjustment or movement with respect to cap member 42 after having been properly adjusted relative to the same. Such proper adjustment of the rod 36 with respect to cap member 32 may be efiected by loosening the jamb nut 53 and turning the rod 36 with respect to cap member 42 by engagement of a screw driver with a kerf in the outer or right hand end of said rod 36.

It will be noted that the guard or stop members 37!, which are provided on the outer ends of arms 38, are arranged so that they will be in close proximity with the adjacent outer end of the cylinder R when projected, thus positively preventing any movement of said record longitudir nally of the mandrel or record support, as well as positively preventing removal or application of a record with respect to the mandrel. In addi-- tion, the outer end portions of the arms 38 are arranged to flatly engage the bore of the outer end of record R, when said arms 38 and guard members 3? are expanded, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to form a rigid support and centering means for this end of the cylinder when the machine is' in use. Also, the stop or guard members 3! are preferably of arcuate form and arranged concentric with the axis of the record support or mandrel so as to cooperate and present a nearly complete circular wall which will effectively prevent removal or application of the record, or over which the record cannot possibly be forced, and by means of which the record cannot possibly be marred to any material extent. At the same time, when the cap member 33 is moved to its outermost position as shown in Figure 2, the guard members 3? are sumciently collapsed to easily pass through the bore of the cylinder and thereby permit easy removal or application of the record. In this form of the invention, the outer end portions of the rods 30 are operatively connected with the arm's' 38"by means of leaf'springs ld which' strad'dle the" arms '38 "and are pivotally pinned to thelatter adjacent thepivots of said arms 38 so that when the latter are expanded the adjacent outer ends of the rods 3%] will be similarly expanded to grip the. record and prevent its easy removal, aswellas to sustain the record at its outer end until the arms 38 engage the bore thereof: Likewise, the connection of the rods 30 with thearms 38 will cause the rods 33-to collapse or move toward the axis of the record support at their outer ends .when the arms 38 are retracted or collapsed, so as to permit easy application or removal of a record at'that time.

i The operative connectionbctwen the left hand ElldOf rod-36 and the guide rod 33 is preferably as shown including a lever 45 pivoted intermediate its ends to the standard 7 as at 45 and having a fork'at its lower end engaging in a circular groove ofa collar 47 threaded on the adjacent end of rod 35, the upper end of lever 45 being reduced and operating in a double cam slot 48 provided ina horizontal flange of a cam member 49 secured tothe adjacent end of guide'rcd 33. The connectio-n at'this point issuch that when the guiderod 33 is rocked in one direction by operating lever 34 to set therecorder and reproduc'er in reproducing position, or when said rod 33 is rocked in the opposite direction by'the, lever 34- to set the recorder and reproduceriin recording position,the rod 35 will be'pulledrto the left of Figure 2 to cause inward movement of cap member 42 and thereby expand therods 30 of the mandrel and the arms 38 which carry the guard members13l.

Movement of the record longitudinally of the mandrel or removal or application of the record with respect to the mandrel is thus positively-prevented whenever the recorder and reproducer is set in either recording or reproducing position. In addition, the arrangement is such that when the lever 34 is moved to a verticalposition as shown in Figures 1 and 2 to set the recorder and reproducer M in inoperative position withits ,styli disengaged from the record R, the rod 36 will be moved to the right of Figure 2 for'correspondingly moving cap member 42 and collapsing the arms 38 and the outer ends of the mandrel rods 36. Thus, when the recorder and reproducer is set in neutral position, the guard members 31 areretracted and themandrel is collapsed to permi-teasy application or removal of the record. The construction is of such character that movement of cap member 42 cannot be manually eiiecte d for collapsing or expanding the mandrel and-the guard members, except by operation of the lever 34 which controls the settingof the recorder and reproducer with respect to thereoord. A suitable housing 50 is arranged about the arms 38 and adjacent parts to enclose and protect the same, said housing comprising a metal shell having longitudinal slots as at 51 to snugly accommodate the adjacent endsof rods 33 and permit their inward and outward move-- ment, and attached to the cap member 32 as well as slidably fitting over the hub 23 of the mandrel. The cap member 42 preferably has a circular flange at'its outer end provided with slots 52 to receive and guide the arms38 in their swinging movement. Also, the collar 41 may be turned relative to the threaded end of the rod 36 to adjustthe former, and the adjustment is retained by means of a jamb nut 53 threaded on said rod 36 againstthe collar 41.

In the modified form of construction shown in vFigure 13, the-arms 38ct are connected by rigid angular pieces 54 with theadjacent ends ofthe mandrel rods 39a, so that'the adjacent outerend of the record will be rigidly centered and positively gripped when the arms 38a are expanded. In this form of the invention the arms 38a. are terminated inwardly of the flange of cap member 42', the stop or guard members being omitted. Otherwise, this form of the'invention corresponds'to the construction described in connection with Figures 1 to 12 inclusive, the operation of cap member 42 being effected by connection of the rod 3Fwlth the guide rod 330i the phonograph;

Referring to the modification shown in Figure 14, the outer ends-of the mandrel rods 30b are yieldingly connected by spring strips 44a directly with'the hub 23 of the-mandrel, no connectionbeing provided betweenthe rods 30!) and the arms 38 Thus, in this embodiment, the'mandrel is merely a yielding one and notexpansible and: coilap'sible by manual actuation- However, the

arms'fls'in this formof the invention carry the stop members 31 and-are actuated by the rod 35, adapted for connection with the guide rod 33 as:

described and shown in connection with Figures 1 and 2. Also, in this embodiment, the arms 38 are adapted to rigidly center and support the recordat its outer endwhen the arms 38 are expanded. Otherwise, the form shown in Figure- 14 corresponds to the form of mandrel described and disclosed in connection'with Figures 1 to .12 inclusive.

It will be noted that in the forms of the invention in which the rods of the mandrel are connected with the guard or stop carrying arms, the

arrangement is such that the record is frictionally engaged by the mandrelwhen the mandrelis collapsed, with sufficient force to prevent accidental displacement of the record off of the mandrel, even though permitting its manual removal with relative ease. In other words, when the mandrel is collapsed, the record may bemanually forced fully onto the mandrel into frictional engagement with therods of the latter so as to retain the record in placeunder ordinaryconditions; causes tighter frictional engagement-of the man drel rods' with the record to prevent-its easyremoval. This is especially important in theform of the invention where the stopor guard members are omitted, but even where the latter are used, the arrangement serves the useful purpose of insuring retention of the record fully upon-the mandrel under ordinary conditions even though the lever 3 l be moved several times during the course' of dictation to and from neutral'position,

with consequent repeated collapsing of themandrel.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the present invention provides effective means for preventing the-removal-"of a record from the machine; or its application to themachine whenthe recorder and reproducer is in either its recording or reproducing position, and

The expansionof the mandrel merely" controlling the engagement of the sound record ing or reproducing means with the record, and means controlled by'the last named means for expanding the record support when the sound recording or reproducing means is engaged with the record and for collapsing the record support when the sound recording or reproducing means is disengaged from the record.

2. In combination, a record supporting mandrel comprising a device operable to facilitate the removal of a record from the mandrel, soundresponsive means adapted to engage the record, means adapted to remove the sound-responsive means from record-engaging position, and means controlled by the last named means for operating said device when the sound-responsive means is removed from record-engaging position.

3. In combination, a rotatable record supporting mandrel having self-contained means actuatable to condition the mandrel so as to facilitate the removal of a record therefrom, sound-responsive record-engaging means, and manually operable means for simultaneously actuating the first-named means and moving the sound-responsive means to inefiective position.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination of sound-responsive means, a mandrel expansible to prevent easy removal of a record therefrom, and means to expand said mandrel through movement of the sound-responsive means to record-engaging position.

5. In combination, a collapsible mandrel having an operating device actuatable to control the collapsing of the mandrel, sound-responsive means movable to and from operative position in respect to a record on said mandrel, a device for controlling the movement of the sound-responsive means, and means operated by said controlling device for actuating said operating device.

6. In combination, sound-responsive 'means movable to and from record-engaging position, manually operable means to move said soundrespcnsive means, a collapsible mandrel embodying a plurality of relatively movable rods, and means including movable members on the mandrel actuated by said manually operable means for retaining the record on said mandrel and expanding said rods when the sound-responsive means is moved to record-engaging position.

7. In combination, sound-responsive means movable to and from record-engaging position, a record-supporting mandrel comprising collapsible record-engaging members, and means including guard members on the mandrel to prevent application of a record thereto until the soundresponsive means is moved from record-engaging position and the record-engaging members are collapsed.

8. In combination, a mandrel, sound-responsive means and a control therefor, and means mounted on the mandrel and movable by said control to and from position wherein the same will prevent the removal of a record from and the application of a record to the mandrel.

9. In combination, a record-supporting mandrel, sound-responsive means, means for moving the sound-responsive means to and from the recrd and to and from recording and reproducing position, and means movably mounted on the mandrel and actuated by the last named means to prevent the application of a record to or the removal of a record from the mandrel when the sound responsive means is moved either to recording or reproducing position.

10. In combination. a record support, a record retaining device carried thereby and movable to and from operative position, sound-responsive means adapted to engage a record mounted on the record support, means for rendering said sound-responsive means inoperative, and means operated by the last named means for moving said record retaining device to inoperative position.

11. In combination, sound-responsive means movable to and from record-engaging position, manually operable means to move said soundresponsive means, a mandrel, and means including movable members on the mandrel actuated by said manually operable means for retaining the record on said mandrel when the soundresponsive means is moved to record-engaging position.

12. In a device of the character described, a mandrel, a movable guide rod, a carriage having styli and movable along said guide rod, controlling means for controlling the position of said styli relative to a record or blank and for moving said rod, a guard movably mounted on the mandrel, and means operatively associated with said rod and said guard, said means being actuatable upon and by reason of the movement of said guide rod to move said guard to such a position as to prevent the removal or positioning of the record or blank with respect to the mandrel when either stylus is moved to operative position with respect to a record or blank on the mandrel.

13. In a phonograph, an expansible and contractible record support, sound-responsive means movable to and from engagement with a record on said support, and means operatively connecting said record support and sound-responsive means whereby movement of the latter to recordengaging position will be accompanied by the expansion of said support.

14. In a phonograph, an expansible and contractiole record s .pport, sound-responsive means movable to and from engagement with a record on said support, and means operatively connecting said support and sound-responsive means whereby the contraction of said support will be accompanied by record disengaging movement of the sound-responsive means.

15. In a phonograph, a record support, means mounted on said support for movement to and from a position for preventing longitudinal movement of a record on the support, sound-responsive means movable to and from engagement with a record on the support, and means connecting said movably mounted means and the soundresponsive means whereby movement of the latter to record-engaging position will be accompanied by movement of such movably mounted means to the said position thereof for preventing longitudinal movement of a record on the support.

16. In a phonograph, a record support, means mounted on said support for movement to and from position for preventing longitudinal movement or" a record mounted on the support, soundresponsive means movable to and from engagement with a record on the support, and means connecting said movably mounted means and the sound-responsive means whereby record disengaging movement of the latter will be accompanied by movement of such movably mounted means from the said position thereof for preventing longitudinal movement of a record on the support.

FREDERICK L. FOX. 

